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Monday, August 15, 2011

Little things add up.

Remember when you first realized the power of compound interest? I couldn't believe it. How could such a small difference add up to such a huge amount over 10 years! I've been thinking about this lately. Sometimes I feel like we're not spending enough time on spelling each day, or reading to my little ones. I fret because I'm not spending as much time as I would like on Bible study each day or exercise. But then I remember that little things do add up.

It doesn't seem possible that we'll read ALL these books in our homeschool this year. Yet, we finished all our books last year and the year before that. What's the secret? Huge blocks of time for reading, reading, and more reading? Surprisingly, no, though I would like that given the time. One chapter at a time. That's how we get through all those books. One chapter at a time.

How about memorizing a book of the Bible? A daunting task, to be sure, but it can be accomplished in much the same way. One verse at a time. And getting into shape? One mile at a time. The key is consistency. Rather than becoming discouraged, we just need to take heart and do the next thing, even if we don't know how it will ever add up to enough.

This must be God's design. He certainly doesn't sanctify us all at once, but a little bit at a time. Often we can't see the increase in our faith or the growth in our obedience. We can't see how God is transforming our hearts and renewing our minds. It happens little by little as His Word works in us.

So if you tend to have an all or nothing attitude like I do (which is why I gave up dieting long ago), be encouraged to work at things in your life and homeschool like God works in us- one day at a time. Just choose this day to commit your time, your homeschool, your children, your body, your life to the Lord for His purposes. He can take our little and make it into a lot over time. Little things add up.

3 comments:

Celee,You are so right. You know the saying, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.". It's so true. Bit by bit we can accomplish a lot. We don't read aloud for huge blocks of time either, but 30 minutes here, 30 minutes there...it easily adds up. The same with really anything. We can't wait for the perfect time to do a task through to completion. We must whittle away at it every day.

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I'm an on-the-run mom to 6 kids who studied and taught exercise science in a previous life. I love all things running, nutrition, and health-related. I usually run at zero dark thirty in the morning and am often quite hungry before, during, and after my run, but I live a rich, full, blessed life with my children, family, and friends. My faith in God is my anchor, and looking to Him and His promises allows me to live fully even when life circumstances are difficult. While running gives me an appetite, my desire is to hunger and thirst for righteousness more than for physical food.

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I'm a mom to six brilliant, adorable, and hilarious kids. Their dad and I are recently divorced and I have entered a new era of single parenthood. I'm still the same person, with many of the same interests, though I'm no longer homeschooling my kids. I've been doing a lot of running over the last year, culminating in two recent ultra-marathon trail runs, and have registered for my first Ironman triathlon which will be in Boulder, CO August 3, 2014. I still love to read and can be found experimenting in my kitchen on most days. My kids keep me humble and they keep me laughing! I am blessed.